Thanks to Netgalley for this early release. Loved this fast paced book. It grabbed me fairly quickly and kept my interest throughout. Very interesting twists. Can't wait to go back and read others in the series.

Many thanks to Harlan Coben, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel. Coben is a master of the smart, well-written, engaging thriller, and Nobody’s Fool is no exception. I had trouble putting this down and read it very quickly to the end. It is well-plotted, entertaining, funny, and also touching in parts. Highly recommend!

I love Harlan Coben books! I think this is my favorite so far. I could not put it down. Sami Kierce's past has come back to haunt him. While backpacking in Spain after college graduation Sami wakes up next to a dead , bloody girl with a knife in his hand. He had no memory of what happened. Now, in 2025, he is a disgraced ex New York detective. He's teaching night classes on investigation and recognizes her face in the crowd. She runs and he follows her. He has to find her to unlock clues to his own past. Should those secrets stay buried or not? Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I loved it!

This was a really good book! There was a lot of build up, confusion, and secrets that were waiting to be uncovered as you keep reading this book. There were so many twists and turns, and it really kept you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

5⭐️s! - Wowza! This was all the stars. Deliciously entertaining from start to finish, and then left with a jaw-dropping ending. Calling all thriller fans, this one comes out in March and a put on your TBR!

When I got this ARC, I couldn’t believe it and SO excited! Harlan Coben is one of my favorite authors, so it had my full and undivided attention. Coben is such a master story teller with relatable characters, layered plots, and action packed mystery.

In this one, Sami, is our main character and we are all routing for him and his race against time to solve the mystery. Can we talk about those classmate characters? They were wildly entertaining! The Debbie & Raymond duo, Lenny with his tech gadgets, Golfer Gary and can’t forget those Pink Panthers - loved that all of them were genuine and devoted to helping Sami.

Coben unfolds twists throughout the book but holds his cards super close to reveal the fireworks finale. I’m still thinking wow, that was something!
Loved the reference to Hercule Poirot too - so fun!

This is a must read and highly recommend!!

Expected release: 3/25/25

✨Special thanks to NetGalley & Grand Central Publishing for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I eagerly await any new work from the author and this one doesn't disappoint. Calls Coben with tight plot, plenty of twists and a thriller in his classic style. Even though this is a second in the series, it can be enjoyed as a stand alone work.

Now we wait for the next one!

He’s a favorite and rightly so.. another blockbuster best seller. Clever, brilliant, riveting, addictive and engrossing. I loved every minute. The plot is so unusual and one of a kind clever… I could not out it down. Read it 8n two sittings. His new Pakistani ex cop, disgraced deprivation eye is a welcome addition to his protagonists. There is surely a sequel in the works.. and if not there should be. I cannot wait, thanks a hundred times for the pre release edition so I could thoroughly enjoy the read. BRAVO,

I was so excited to read the new Harlan Coben book that I spent the whole day reading it. There is a reason this author is a best seller. This book was fabulous. Sami is no longer a detective but he has the skills. So when he is offered big money to find a truth the only caveat is that he can't tell anyone what he finds out. A girl has been missing for many years. Then is discovered live and returned to her family. Is she truly the missing girl or the girl Sami thinks he killed in Spain? So many twists and turns. Loved the class students that help him do the research. Raymond with is underwear on the outside of his jeans had me laughing.

This is explosive, with only a hint of slow burn buildup. Sami is back. And still working to claw his way
back to a better life after his career ending mistakes, but with his lovely wife, Molly, and their Henry,
almost a year old. So, things are settled. For now.
Remember that planned week long New Year’s trip to Italy? Back in his college days?
Well… it has in part, followed Sami home and it’s going to extract a world of terror, damage,
debt and ~THIS IS WHERE THE READER begins an epic ride, unlike anything I have
experienced in quite a long time.
I am not going to share a hint! Why not? Because every hint is a piece of the puzzle~
a puzzle that could only have been crafted by the brilliant Harlan Coben, and it would
be wrong of me to deprive others of this absolutely book !
I absolutely recommend this book!
My thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the download copy of this book for review purposes.

When disgraced former police officer turned independent detective Sami Kierce was a college student traveling in Spain, he woke up one morning next to a dead woman and found himself holding a bloody knife. He fled the scene, but the incident changed the course of his life. Now, twenty five years later, he thinks he sees the woman he thought murdered. As he tries to find the woman, long held secrets unravel and danger is near.

This is the second in the Detective Sami Kierce series. I read the first one, Nobody’s Fool, but it was in 2016 and since I have read well over 1000 books since, I honestly don’t remember it so basically this was a standalone for me and it worked as one.

Multiple plot lines, an intriguing, twisty story, and colorful supporting characters make this another winner by Coben. It also raises some interesting social and familial issues. It is a fast paced, engrossing, hard to put down read.

Since Nobody’s Fool was made into a Netflix series, I am looking forward to this one also being adapted.

Being a longtime reader of Harlan Coben, I am always overly excited to see that he has a new one out. “Nobody’s Fool” is fast-paced, twisty and has hints of humor peppered throughout.

Before heading off to college, Sami Kierce goes with some friends to Spain. While enjoying a night out, he meets Anna, and they spend five blissful days and nights together, until one morning Sami awakens next to her with a bloody knife in his hand and her dead body next to him. He cuts his trip short and goes back home, but this night will forever stay with him. How could he have killed someone and not remember a single thing? Then, more than 20 years later, he sees Anna and she’s alive. This sets him on a course to find answers that will take him on a heart-pounding journey.

This book is brilliant. It’s impossible to put down once you open it. It is easily a 5-star book and I highly recommend it. Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC.

This book was another hit from the author. Filled with usual page turning mystery and suspense. I did find that his attempts at humor were not effective. Some twists and turns at the end were an added plus to the storyline. This is a book which I would recommend to all who enjoy a good mystery.

4-4.25 stars. A solid Coben thriller, but not quite 5-star level for me. For some reason, I just didn't feel totally invested/immersed in this one. But definitely a well built mystery where something from the past intersects with the present and surprised me in the end. I found myself missing some of the humor from the Bolitar series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: March 25, 2025

Harlan Coben’s Nobody’s Fool is a riveting page-turner that artfully blends past and present in a gripping tale of mystery and redemption. Sami Kierce’s haunting journey from a shocking tragedy to an impossible reunion keeps you on edge as secrets unravel and danger looms.

Coben’s signature twists and relentless pacing shine, delivering a story packed with suspense, emotional depth, and jaw-dropping revelations. A must-read for thriller fans, Nobody’s Fool cements Coben’s reputation as a master of the genre. Unforgettable!

Harlan Coben is a must-read for me! I love his books and couldn’t wait for this one! It’s a Sami Kierce book, when someone from his past comes back and stirs up all kinds of issues. This was a fast read with lots of humor and a solid ending that I didn’t see coming!

Synopsis
In the year 2000, Sami Kierce, a young backpacker exploring Spain with his friends, wakes up one fateful morning to a shocking scene. He finds himself drenched in blood, a knife clutched in his hand, and beside him lies the lifeless body of a woman named Anna. Confused and terrified, he has no recollection of the events that led to this moment and begins to scream in horror. Fast forward 25 years, Kierce now resides in New York, where he is seen as a disgraced detective teaching evening classes. One day, he spots a face he thought he’d never see again—Anna. The resemblance is undeniable. But as soon as their eyes meet, she bolts. Kierce realizes he has no choice but to track her down and unravel the mystery that has tormented him for decades. His quest will force him to confront his past, revealing that some secrets are better left hidden.

My Thoughts
I have to admit, I didn’t realize this was the second book in the Detective Sami Kierce series before I decided to read it. Luckily, I checked and found out it could be enjoyed on its own, which was a relief. As for my take on Nobody's Fool, I thought it was pretty good! The beginning felt a bit slow, but things picked up as I got into it. The story weaves through two timelines, has a haunting backstory, and trust me, the ending has a major twist! I really liked how the characters developed, especially Sami, the main character. Overall, once it got going, the plot, and story really came together.

Thank You @Netgalley and @grandcentralpub for allowing me to review this ARC.

After a really rocky start, Harlan Coben weaves a gripping tale in Nobody's Fool. When I read Fool Me Once in 2016, I remember liking Detective Sami Kierce, but the character didn't stick with me the way some of Coben's supporting characters can (Hester Crimstein comes to mind).

The prologue of the book tugged at my heartstrings even as I wanted to slap Kierce or being so naïve. That said, the jump twenty years to the present was disorienting. Getting to know Kierce in the first two chapters was awkward and chaotic. He's clearly made a mess of his life, not just because of what happened to Anna all those years ago, but because of how his actions affected Maya Stern in Fool me Once. I didn't see admirable qualities until he thought about his wife, and, oddly enough, in a way he blackmailed a character.

Kierce makes his living these days teaching a pay-as-you-go course, which is the first place we see a little insight into his detective skills. The story really kicks off, though, when a woman from Kierce's past comes to his class, running off at top speed when he recognizes her.

She would not have known how to find him if another blast from the past hadn't made the newspapers. Because of Kierce's summary dismissal from the police, the man who murdered his financee from years ago is out. To make matters worse, the man wants Kierce to prove his innocence, even roping in his dying mother to help.

The cast of supporting characters is huge, which has advantages and disadvantages. Because there are so many, we don't get as much insight into their personalities and motivations as we might have with a smaller contingent. Still, they are drawn differently enough from each other that they keep things interesting. His students, which could have been painted as nothing but quirky losers, are often smart and capable. The wealthy Belmonds

Secrets abound, of course, this is a Coben thriller, but the way Kierce communicates with those closest to him is refreshing. Despite the mess he's made of his life, there are people around him that love and trust him. As the secrets are exposed, Kierce finally confronts what happened in Costa del Sol, an incident that changed his life forever, leaving him with choices he never thought he'd have to make.

Coben fans will enjoy callbacks to previous novels, though none are needed to enjoy this one once those rough first chapters are read.

Always a Harlan Coben fan! His books are never predictable, solve multiple mysteries at the same time, and continually entertain. Nobody’s Fool combines dual timelines, recriminations and unique solving with a classroom approach. Didn’t want this one to end but hopefully it is left open for a follow-up novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

𐙚 Dual Timelines
𐙚 Haunted Past
𐙚 Twisty Ending

Harlan Coben stays true to his style with Nobody’s Fool, the second book in the Detective Sami Kierce series. The novel is packed with twists, tension, and well-developed characters that keep the pages turning. Sami, a former cop-turned-teacher, becomes entangled in a dual mystery: a cold case from his youth in Spain and a fresh investigation aided by his quirky criminology students. Coben masterfully weaves humor, suspense, and family drama into the narrative. I appreciated the mix of mystery and human emotion that drove the story.

Rating: ✰✰✰.5/5

Thank you for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. ・❥・

I am so glad that I stumbled upon Harlan Coben. I have enjoyed all of his books, including the latest, Nobody’s Fool are awesome!